


Worth More than Diamonds

by Vexie



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Lots of healing, Magic, Tattoos, no permanent death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-19
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-02-13 01:23:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21486022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vexie/pseuds/Vexie
Summary: "I know my faith hasn’t been as strong as it should be lately, Traveler. And I don’t ever want to waver again. I want to be strong enough to take care of my friends, and succeed where I failed," Jester prays.Jester got her magic tattoo to make her stronger and to remember her god's power. She didn't expect to have to use it to save her family again and again. They don't see how it diminishes little by little. But it's worth it. Her family is worth more than some silly magic tattoo.
Relationships: Jester Lavorre & The Mighty Nein, Jester Lavorre & The Traveler, romantic ships purposefully amgiuous
Comments: 4
Kudos: 79





	Worth More than Diamonds

**Author's Note:**

> Idea originally posted on Tumblr by user FiveGoldPieces who stated "your honor since jester's tattoos are worth more than 300gp of diamonds I think she should get the power to bring someone back to life just by hugging them at the cost of having to give up her ability bonus"
> 
> I fell in love with the idea and jotted it down immediately. So FiveGoldPieces? Thanks for the phenomenal idea, and thank you to my friend Geoffrey who reminded me that Revivify isn't the only spell that costs diamonds/diamond dust. <3

Jester admires her new tattoo, holding her compact mirror out to see it. She almost feels warmer, somehow, with the Traveler’s shimmering embrace etched into her skin. Some of it, of course, is the magic embued in the tattoo. The part of her that’s attuned to her own magical energy can feel it quietly thrumming away with its own little magical heartbeat. But part of it, she _knows_ is the warmth of her faith, her Traveler keeping her safe and warm.

“I hope you like it,” she prays to him. “I got it for you, you know, so I never forget you’re always here for me.”

“_I love it_.” his whisper tickles her ear. She smiles, moving her compact so his hooded form shows behind her. He’s smiling (but when is he not?)

“I know my faith hasn’t been as strong as it should be lately, Traveler. And I don’t ever want to waver again. I want to be strong enough to take care of my friends, and succeed where I failed. This…this should help me remember. It will help me be stronger,” Jester explains, gently laying her hands over the Traveler’s hands just below her collarbone. The fresh tattoo stings to the touch, but not unbearably so.

“_You have faced many hardships and done many great things, Jester. I’m sure you will do many more. You have never let me down, not even once,” _the Traveler says, reaching around her to cover her hands in his own, embracing her just like the tattoo. _“I am very grateful for the homage, my disciple.” _He lingers for a moment more, then is gone.

Jester can’t stop smiling. Things are turning around. She’ll do better now.

Things are bad, and then they’re worse. Jester screams as the demon finally manages to dislodge Beau from her perch on its shoulders and flings her across the chamber. Her body slams into the stone in a strange bullet time, as if Caleb has cast _slow_ on it. Jester screams again as Beau’s head bounces off the wall, her neck turning in an unnatural angle. Jester is too far away to hear the sickening _thud_ Beau makes as she hits the floor, but she hears it anyway, echoing in her imagination.

Jester hears Caleb’s enraged roar and feels the fire he sends to engulf the demon, but she’s not watching. She sprints across the room to where Beau is lying on the ground, not moving. As she gets closer, Jester can see that the angle she’s at is unnatural, _wrong_. Jester pleads silently with Beau to get up and do one of her yoga stretches to get her neck straightened out, to stand up and laugh it off. But she doesn’t. Jester falls to her knees next to Beau’s broken form. Her blue eyes are staring up at the ceiling, glassed over in death. Her leg is broken as well as her neck. Blood pools under her from where her skull cracked against the wall.

“Please, Traveler, bring her back to me,” Jester prays, reaching for _Revivify_ in the special place she keeps her magic.

_“What have you to offer for the price? You know the rules.” _The Traveler’s voice is soft, not rebuking but serving a gentle reminder.

Jester’s heart stops. The diamond. They didn’t have time to buy any more diamonds. They don’t have _any_.

“I-I…isn’t there another way?” she stammers.

_“Nothing can be given for free, Jester. I am sorry,”_ her god replies. _“Power used in the mortal realm is not without price.” _

“But it’s Beau…I _need_ Beau…Please, bring her back…” Tears stream down Jester’s face as she reaches out with shaking hands to brush Beau’s hair from her face. She takes her head and gently moves it to a more natural position. Now Beau’s empty eyes stare up at her, imploring. Jester straightens her robes, her arms. She chokes on a sob when she sees the Chaos Crew tattoo that matches her own. That night had been full of victory and celebration, when they had gotten their matching tattoos after their magic ones—_their magic tattoos!_ Jester’s head shoots up.

“Traveler! I have it! The payment! I have…Can you take it from my skin?” Jester doesn’t recognize her own voice, a desperate, strangled whisper.

_“Your skin, little one?” _the Traveler repeats.

“My tattoo…it’s…it’s three _thousand_ gold worth of crushed diamond. That surely is enough, right?” Jester pleads.

_“Hmmm.” _His voice moves. She knows he’s standing in front of her but for the first time in her life, Jester isn’t trying to steal a peek under his hood. She’s holding Beau’s hand in her own, stroking her forehead, touching her face, wiping away the blood. Trying to _fix_ her. 

_“You realize taking away even just a part of your tattoo will make the power it holds less potent, right?” _the Traveler asks.

“I don’t care. I’ll give you all of it if it will bring Beau back,” Jester says, looking up at him at last. He looks down at her for a few moments, then he gives her a nod.

_“Very well,”_ he says.

Jester takes a deep breath and reaches for her magic again. She gently reaches out and pulls Beau’s broken body to her chest and holds her close.

“Come back to me, Beau. Please come back,” Jester whispers.

The Traveler puts his hands on her shoulders. Jester feels some of that special warmth her tattoo brings fade from where he touches her. The dust reforms as a diamond, then shimmers into a light that buries itself deep in Beau’s chest. Jester closes her eyes as she hears Beau’s neck click itself back into the correct position. A moment later, Beau’s chest fills with air and she breathes.

Beau blinks and looks up at Jester.

“Hey, Jess. What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Beau asks weakly.

“Thank you,” Jester says. It’s all she can say for several minutes as she holds Beau close to her, her tears changing from sorrow to relief. Beau makes concerned noises and shakily reaches up to pat Jester’s shoulder.

And then the others are there, surrounding them, reaching out to touch Jester and Beau in relief, murmuring their thanks that Beau is all right. Caleb puts his hand on Beau’s shoulder and doesn’t speak, but he doesn’t move away, either. Not even when Caduceus kneels in front of Jester and gently takes Beau so she’s laying across the both of them.

“Let’s heal that leg and your other wounds,” he says in his gentle way. He begins his ritual. But his pale eyes focus on Jester.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you bring her back, Miss Jester?” he asks.

“I ran, I just ran. I got to her in time to use Revivify,” Jester says, wiping at her face. 

“But we were out of diamonds,” Caduceus says.

“No, we weren’t! I still had one, remember?” Jester says. Caduceus frowns, but doesn’t contradict her.

Jester doesn’t know why she doesn’t want him to know where the diamond came from, but she’s relieved when he doesn’t bring it up again.

Later, when they’re safe in town and she has a moment to herself, Jester inspects her tattoo in the mirror. Not too much is missing; just a hand’s worth on each shoulder. It’s still a beautiful tattoo. Still a perfect homage to her god. Her wonderful Traveler who brought Beau back for her.

The poison is slow to take action. At first it’s just a little cough, some slight weakness. Nothing worrying. The decline is faster. It’s only hours since Nott and Fjord start coughing that they can hardly stay awake, their limbs refusing to move, both of their faces pale.

“It must have been the chest,” Caleb remarks, hovering above Nott with a worried expression on his face. “It must have been trapped. Only the two of them touched it, ja? No one else?”

“I checked for traps this time, Caleb. I promise I did,” Nott murmurs, struggling to keep her eyes open.

“Ja, I know you did. You did so well,” Caleb says, reaching down to take her hand. His frown deepens when he feels the fever raging inside her.

“I’ve heard of people infusing wood with poisons. It wouldn’t be detectable in the way traps that are based in the locking mechanism are,” Beau says.

“Well this won’t do,” Caduceus says. He reaches out with a healing spell, touching each of them on the forehead. A moment later, he pulls his hands back, frowning.

“What’s wrong?” Fjord asks.

“It didn’t work,” Caduceus says, a hint of puzzled disbelief in his voice.

“Let me try,” Jester says. She bows her head and casts a prayer of healing over both of them.

_“Not this time,” _the Traveler’s voice whispers in her ear. _“This is too strong for your magic. I’m sorry.” _

Jester’s heart drops into her stomach. She looks up at her friends, who are watching her expectantly.

“He says…he says it won’t work,” she says.

“Why?” Beau asks.

“I don’t know. Whatever the poison was is too strong,” Jester says. “What do we do?”

“There was a book shop in town. Maybe we can run back and find a book on poisons. If we can identify it…” Beau says, looking up at Caleb. He’s nodding grimly.

“Then we can find an antidote,” he finishes.

“Come on, let’s go,” Beau says, leaping to her feet.

Caleb reaches down and strokes Nott’s hair gently.

“Hang in there, Nott the Brave,” he whispers before following Beau, both humans taking off at a run.

Jester looks at Caduceus.

“I guess we have to just wait for them?” she says.

“I guess so,” Caduceus says. “I’ll see what else I have. Maybe one of my teas will help them a little.”

Caduceus sets to work, digging through his satchel. Jester sits between Fjord and Nott, keeping watch. Nott gives up the struggle against fatigue first, falling asleep with her head on Jester’s lap. Fjord follows shortly after, stretching out on the cool grass. Jester moves Nott into the shade next to Fjord, careful not to wake her. Jester notes their labored breathing and the continued decline of their coloring.

It can’t be more than half an hour when Caduceus finishes mixing and steeping a strong smelling tea.

“I hate to wake them, but I really think this will help,” he says, frowning. “It should at least buy us a little more time for Beau and Caleb to find some answers.” 

“Then we should absolutely wake them up,” Jester says. She touches Fjord’s shoulder. Usually, he sleeps light enough that a simple touch will wake him, but he doesn’t move. She taps him, then shakes his shoulder. He doesn’t respond.

“Fjord? Fjord!” Jester cries. She touches his face, but nothing changes.

“Nott?” Jester turns to Nott, already dreading what she’ll find. Nott, too, is unresponsive.

Jester looks up at Caduceus, tears filling her eyes.

“Caduceus, what do we do?” she asks.

Caduceus shakes his head, his face dark with concern.

“I don’t think there’s anything we can do, but pray, and hope that Beauregard and Caleb find what we need in time,” he says gently.

“I hate not being able to do anything,” Jester says.

Caduceus puts a hand on her shoulder, nodding.

“I know,” he says. “So do I.”

He walks to the edge of the clearing they are camped in and sits in a familiar, meditative pose. Jester watches him settle in to speak with his goddess and takes a deep breath. She should do the same.

Jester closes her eyes, folding her hands over the Traveler’s hands on her chest.

“Traveler, please guide me. I’m afraid Caleb and Beau will be too late. If there’s anything I can do, please show me. I have to save my friends,” she whispers.

_“There may be something. A new spell for you, my Jester. I think you can handle it.” _The Traveler sounds confident. She can hear the warm smile in his voice. He’s always so proud of her when she learns new spells.

“Yes! Please teach me!” Jester says. “Anything to help!”

_“There is the matter of price, though. You know none of this is without cost. This spell requires diamond dust,” _the Traveler says. Jester deflates, but only for a moment.

“I don’t have any…can you do what you did before? Can you take it from my tattoo?” Jester asks.

_“Are you sure? It will take more this time, for the three of them,” _the Traveler says.

“Three?” Jester repeats.

_“Melora’s priest, your pink friend, has been hiding his symptoms. He isn’t too far behind the half orc and goblin there,” _the Traveler says.

Jester opens her eyes and looks over at Caduceus. He coughs silently, stifling the noise with the back of his hand. He does look more pale than usual, his gaunt cheekbones sticking out more than ever. Jester feels a jolt of guilt for having not noticed sooner. She had been so worried about Fjord and Nott that she hadn’t even checked.

“Yes, of course. Take whatever you need. I don’t want them to die, Traveler,” Jester says quickly. “Tell me what to do.”

_“Very well_.”

Jester feels the Traveler’s hands slide across her tattoo, plucking sparkling diamond dust from her skin. The power that once radiated through the tattoo is greatly diminished now, barely a whisper of what it had been when Orly had limned it.

_“Cup your hands,” _the Traveler says. Jester obeys, marveling as what was once beautiful lines on her skin pours into her cupped hands almost like a liquid. She doesn’t have much time to admire the glittering powder as the Traveler walks her through the steps of a new spell called _Greater Restoration_. She performs the ritual over Fjord, watching as some of her diamond dust settles onto his face and turns to shining pink power, illuminating his scars and contours for a moment before he breathes it in. Almost immediately, color returns to his face as his breathing eases and settles.

Jester breathes a sigh of relief and turns to perform the ritual over Nott. The sickness leaves her, her cheeks returning to their bright green hue under her own magic tattoo.

_“Can you handle one more?” _The Traveler sounds concerned. Jester is tired, but she nods.

“With your strength and guidance, I can do anything I want to,” she whispers.

Caduceus opens his eyes when Jester kneels in front of him.

“Jester?” he says.

“You should have told me you were sick, too,” Jester says, frowning.

“I’m not as bad off as them,” Caduceus says with a sigh. His eyes say otherwise; she recognizes the fight to stay awake.

“Well, now they’re okay, and you’ll be okay, too,” Jester says. “The Traveler taught me a new spell that worked.” 

Jester takes a deep breath and puts the last of her magic into the final spell. Her hands are empty now. She gives Caduceus a tired smile. He looks at her, surprise on his gaunt face.

“You learned that just now, and performed it on all three of us?” Caduceus says.

“Yeah,” Jester says.

“That’s quite a bit of power, Miss Jester,” Caduceus says.

“It’s what I keep telling you guys. The Traveler is pretty cool,” Jester says sleepily. Caduceus lets her rest as he checks on Fjord and Nott and has Nott send a message to Caleb and Beau.

Much later, Jester remembers to check her tattoo. Only the arms and hands of the Traveler are left, clasping in the center of her chest. But her new spell is worth it. To heal poisons and bigger damage is way more useful than that tattoo had been. Besides, the important part of it is still there. The Traveler’s hands are still keeping her safe and keeping her strong. Jester places one hand over the Traveler’s hands and smiles. It’s worth it. 

The keep is much larger than they’d thought it was. And they can’t find Caleb anywhere.

“Should we split up?” Nott asks, wringing her hands with worry.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Caduceus says hesitantly.

“It’s an awful idea, but we don’t have a lot of time. Once they see we’ve broken Fjord out, they’ll know we’re coming for Caleb,” Beau says. “Then we’ll never find him.”

“What if we split into two groups?” Jester asks. “I can go with one and Nott can go with the other so we can send a message when we find him.”

“Good plan. I’ll go with you. Nott, you go with Caduceus. Cad, can you look after Fjord?” Beau says.

“I’ve got him,” Caduceus says, nodding. Fjord lifts his head from where he’s leaning against the wall.

“I wish I could be more use to you,” he says. “These mages weren’t fooling around.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll get you patched up in no time,” Caduceus says comfortingly. He slides an arm around Fjord to support him as they make their way down the left hand corridor. Beau and Jester take the right.

They work quickly and silently, methodically checking cells and ruling out corridors. Beau seems to understand the layout of the keep and keeps them moving. Jester keeps quiet and prays that they find Caleb soon.

Beau turns down a corridor and stops. Jester almost runs into her.

“Fuck,” Beau whispers.

“What’s wrong?” Jester whispers, preparing for a fight.

“This door’s ajar. I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” Beau says. She pushes the door the rest of the way open.

“Jester! That’s him! Caleb!” Beau runs forward. Jester follows her into the room. The room is large and octagonal, with shelves full of strange looking items and tools lining the walls. Caleb is laid out on a stone table in the center of the room.

Jester stops. He doesn’t look right. She can’t see his chest moving. He’s marble-white, his lips purple. Jester can hear her heartbeat in her ears. _No, no, no. _

“Caleb! Hey, Caleb?” Beau reaches the table. She reaches out and touches Caleb’s arm, then flinches back.

“Caleb?” Beau’s voice is small. She turns to Jester, her eyes wide.

“Jester, he’s so cold. He’s….he’s not…is he?” she asks in a shaking voice.

Jester can’t speak. The lump in her throat is too big. She nods. Beau covers her mouth with both hands, turning back to Caleb’s still form.

Jester steps toward him. She can already see it’s too late for her to use Revivify on him. He’s been gone for too long.

_But he _can’t_ be gone!_ Jester’s mind protests. She tries to imagine a world where he isn’t reading in a corner of the inn they’re staying in, or where he doesn’t call her Blueberry, or where he doesn’t say things in his silly accent. She tries to think of never seeing his blue eyes or how he gets freckles when he’s out in the sun for too long, or how his ears turn red when she embarrasses him. But she can’t do it. She can’t imagine life without Caleb. He laughs at her jokes and smiles at her pranks. He lets her hold Frumpkin when she’s sad, and always takes her home if she needs to see her Mama without thinking less of her. He can’t just not be here anymore. She doesn’t want to live a life without him in it.

“Traveler…please…I know there is such a thing as a Resurrection spell. Please, let me learn it. Let me bring him back,” Jester whispers. “Let me save Caleb, like you let me save everyone else.”

_“It’s a little more powerful than you’re ready for, I think_,” the Traveler says. _“It takes a lot of magic. Perhaps when you’ve grown more…” _

“I don’t care! Please, show it to me! I can do it! With you, I _know _I can do it!” Jester pleads.

_“And the price. I know what you will ask when I tell you but my dear…it’s the rest of it. There won’t be anything left,” _he says, touching the mark of his hands just below her collarbone.

“Yes, please, take it,” Jester says.

_“Are you certain, little one?” _the Traveler asks quietly.

“Just do it! Please, Traveler, please,” Jester’s voice is a whisper. She thinks she hears him sigh.

She feels the familiar pull and the rest of the light that was her magical tattoo is gone.

Dimly, Jester is aware of Beau’s startled voice as the diamond forms, glowing in front of her. Jester takes it and steps up to Caleb’s body. She places the diamond on his chest. He’s so cold, like he’s been carved from ice. It’s wrong; he’s usually so warm all the time.

_“Are you ready?” _the Traveler asks. Jester nods and she feels his hands on hers, guiding her through the motions of the Resurrection spell. She repeats the words he gives her. The diamond shines bright, then expands to cover Caleb’s body in light. It sinks into him, bringing with it warmth and blood and breath. Caleb gasps and opens his eyes.

Jester sinks to her knees next to the table, exhausted but content. Caleb sits up, eyes wide, one hand on his chest. Jester smiles tiredly as Beau leaps across the room to throw her arms around him.

Caleb speaks in Zemnian, then stops and shakes his head.

“I thought,” he says slowly in common, his voice slurred, “I was dead. Gone. Kaput.”

“You were, asshole. Jester brought you back,” Beau says, wiping tears from her eyes. “Don’t ever do that again.”

Caleb slides from the table to kneel in front of Jester.

“Is that true? You brought me back?” he asks gently. Jester nods.

“Yeah. It was no problem, with the Traveler on my side,” she says, placing a hand where her tattoo was. Then she stops and removes it. _That’s it. It’s gone_.

“Your tattoo…” Caleb says, surprised. “Where is it? What happened?”

“Caleb, I don’t know if you know anything about magic, but it’s not free. Healing and resurrection costs a lot of diamonds,” Jester says, trying to make her voice teasing. She sees understanding in Caleb’s blue eyes. He nods slowly, an unreadable expression crossing his face.

“Thank you, Jester,” Caleb says, taking her hands in his own. “That is great and powerful magic you did for me. I owe you my life.”

“You don’t owe me anything. You’re family, Caleb,” Jester says. She rubs at her eyes, trying to rub out the white fuzz on the edges of her vision.

“Are you all right?” Caleb asks, concerned.

“Yeah. I’m really tired now,” Jester says, nodding.

“Then let’s get out of here and rest,” Caleb says, helping her to her feet.

Together, they make their way out of the keep, meeting up with the others along the way. Jester focuses on putting one foot in front of the other, warm and relieved that her family is whole and back together. Beau holds her up on one side, carrying much of her weight. Caleb has his arm around her shoulder on the other side, though he is not very much stronger than her in his current state. But they’re okay. They’re alive, and they’re together.

Jester sleeps soundly when they’re safe, waking early the next morning. She takes out her compact and inspects her clear, unmarked chest and shoulders in the morning sun.

_“I am sorry, little one_,” the Traveler says softly. _“It was beautiful work. A beautiful homage.” _

Jester shakes her head.

“Don’t be sorry. It did what I wanted it to do. With your help and my tattoo, I was able to heal my friends when they got sick. I was able to bring Beau and Caleb back to life. I didn’t fail them. I didn’t fail you,” she says, placing her hand where the Traveler’s hands were etched onto her skin.

_“You never have, and you never will, my Jester,”_ the Traveler says, his voice warm with pride.

Jester smiles, looking up at the Traveler’s ever-shadowed form.

“Besides, imagine Orly’s face when I come back and ask him if he can do it on me again. I bet no one has ever had to get the same tattoo _twice_ before,” she says, giggling.

The Traveler laughs, full and free as he had when she was a child. He fades away, his laughter echoing into silence.

Jester’s smile stays as she waits for her family to wake up. Nott sleeps curled in the crook of Caleb’s arm, her fist balled in his jacket. Caleb has his arm around her, sleeping deeply as he continues to heal. Nott had remained so close when she found out what had happened. But they looks so sweet curled up like that. Beau sleeps nearby, with one hand on Caleb’s other arm, as if she’s making sure he’s still there. But she, too, sleeps soundly, snoring as loud as ever. Caduceus sleeps nearby, as peaceful as if he’d grown there.

Fjord, a light sleeper as always, has his eyes open, watching Jester. When she catches him, he comes over to sit near her.

“You okay?” he asks. “You used a lot of power up yesterday.”

“All better, now,” Jester says.

“We’ll have to go back to Nicodranus again soon so you can get that tattoo back,” Fjord says.

“Yeah. But I don’t mind. I’m happy I could use it to help everyone,” Jester says.

Fjord smiles at her, then leans back to look up into the sky.

“We’ve come a long way since we met, haven’t we?” he says thoughtfully.

“We sure have. I couldn’t have imagined any of this stuff happening. If you told me I’d be bringing that stinky wizard from the inn back from the dead? I’d never have believed it,” Jester agrees. Fjord laughs, but then he grows serious.

“We’ve had a lot of hard times, too. Do you ever regret coming with me?” he asks quietly.

Jester thinks for a moment, then shakes her head.

“No way. If I hadn’t come with you, I wouldn’t have met everyone and become such good friends. And I wouldn’t have learned so much about my powers or the Traveler. I don’t regret any of it. If I had to get my tattoo and give it up for you all a million times, I would,” Jester says.

“Are we worth that much?” Fjord says, raising his eyebrows. His voice is playful. Jester grins at him.

“My family is worth all the diamond dust in the world.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! 
> 
> Let me know what you thought! I really enjoyed writing this...I hope you enjoyed reading it! 
> 
> Also, this is the first fic written in my new house, and edited in my newly completed office/writer's nook. -happy Vexie noises-


End file.
